1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to suturing instruments and more particularly pertains to a new suture depressor for suturing tissues without the risk of harm to the tissues commonly encountered with the use of forceps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of suturing instruments is known in the prior art. More specifically, suturing instruments heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art suturing instruments include U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,691; U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,263; U.S. Pat. Des. No. 353,002; U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,741; U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,652 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,635.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new suture depressor. The inventive device includes a handle having distal and proximal ends, a flattened portion formed at the distal end and a pair of spaced-apart projections integrally formed at a flattened portion edge.
In these respects, the suture depressor according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of suturing tissues without the risk of harm to the tissues commonly encountered with the use of forceps.